In a video interview with Forbes, Lindsey Stirling discussed her unusual road to success.
Stirling, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a self-described dancing violinist, who just a few years ago was sharing her talent at kids birthday parties. Now, she’s wowing fans in concert venues all across the world. Her secret to success? YouTube.
The moment one of her original songs went viral online, Stirling said that she thought there was no way a million people had watched her video in a day.
It was almost kind of an emotional moment because I had been working so hard for so long with nothing to show for it, basically. Finally it was like, this is going to work and I think this is going to be my life. It was emotional, it was spiritual and it was exciting.
When first trying to make a name for herself, Stirling received a lot of criticism. Critics told her she was too different to create a following or that she wasn’t a enough of a “world-class violinist” to make it work. She explained to Forbes, “The same reason I was told I would fail was the reason why I succeeded. It was different and intriguing.”
Now, with more than seven million subscribers on YouTube, Stirling wants to make sure that she connects with her fans while on stage.
“I always meditate before every show, I say a prayer with my crew and my band to get in the mode, and I also stretch because it is a very athletic show,” Stirling said. “We gotta entertain, it’s what we do.”
